One day at a time
by popscb
Summary: One shot based on spoiler pictures... Caroline has taken all she can take and she just needs one person to make it all ok...


**A day at a time**

They sat next to each other in the waiting room, surrounded by delightfully cheery people, happy people in happy little pregnancy bubbles. Caroline wasn't happy, she was far from it. Alaric however was more than happy to engage in conversation with all the other expectant fathers, discussing the best schools and how long it would take to be put on a waiting list. Caroline rolled her eyes, and not for the first time either. She took a deep breath, being sure to let the breath out loudly to show Alaric how irritated she was.

Alaric turned towards her "They must be running late" he told her softly, incorrectly assuming she was annoyed about having to wait around.

"I'm not annoyed about them running late, I'm annoyed with this situation I'm in." she folded her arms across her stomach resting them on her now noticeable bump. She glared at the woman to her left who had mumbled something to her partner and frowned. "Everyone's staring at us." She said pointedly, loud enough for the others in the waiting room to hear and quickly avert their gazes.

"It'll be fine one you're in there and you see them…" Alaric started.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence how I think you were" She narrowed her eyes "This isn't fun, this isn't happy. I didn't have a choice in this. My boyfriend is hardly talking to me and I feel like a whale." She added, tears forming in her eyes.

"Why haven't you told me this?"

"Because you don't care Alaric! You just want the babies, it doesn't matter to you who I am as long as you get your children." One by one the couples were being called into their appointments, so it was now just the two of them. "I get it, I do. They're your babies, the babies you thought died with your wife, and they're your hope. But they aren't mine. They aren't my children, they aren't my hope, and they aren't my anything. I thought this would be some great experience, but it isn't…" she moved slightly and sat up straighter "You think that this is easy for me? That it's all going to be ok, because nothing can go wrong when Caroline is involved, it's all rainbows and ponies? Well it isn't anymore."

"Caroline…"

She stood up quickly and pulled away from him when he went to stop her "Don't, Alaric. Just don't."

"Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom, because I have two tiny humans bouncing against my bladder like it's a trampoline. So if you don't mind I'd like to pee." She said

"You cant, the booklet said you need a full bladder so they can do a scan, and we can see the twins clearly…" Alaric told her, he'd been glued to a pregnancy book for the last few weeks.

"I don't care what the freaking booklet says Alaric." She said pointedly "I don't care about some scan. I didn't even want to come here. I can feel them move, I can hear their heartbeats. I know they're ok" she went to walk towards the bathroom when the doctor called her name.

"Caroline Forbes?" the doctor met her eyes "If you'd like to come this way?" She waited for Caroline to catch up with Alaric who was almost in the room already. "If you'd like to lie on the bed for me Caroline and roll up your top, we can take a look to see how you're getting on"

The doctor performed her preliminary checks and proceeded to ask quest which Caroline had been unable to answer. The doctor was currently squeezing gel onto Caroline's Stomach. "You have a fantastic bump Caroline, it's very neat…" Caroline didn't reply. The Doppler was soon passed across her stomach and she could feel the nerves growing inside her.

"Is everything ok?" Alaric asked

"Why don't you take a look…" she pushed the screen around to face him and moved the Doppler slowly around Caroline's stomach. "This is baby A…one really strong heartbeat, there's it's toes and…"

"Stop…" The word came out as a whisper at first "Stop, please just stop." The doctor stopped and looked at Caroline "Just stop please…I'm sorry I can't do this." She began sobbing, her head falling back against the pillow as she let all the built up emotion out.

The doctor looked between the two of them "I'll give you two a little time…" she left the room silently and shut the door.

"Caroline?"

"I don't want to do this alone." She sobbed.

"You're not alone, I'm here…"

She shook her head "I don't want you. I want Stefan…" she continued to cry, her breaths becoming short and shallow.

Alaric nodded once, knowing Stefan was the only one who was going to be able to get Caroline to calm down. He took his phone from his pocket, finding Stefan's number and dialling

"Ah Ric, what do I owe the pleasure…" he could hear the sarcasm in his voice.

"I'm a the hospital with Caroline."

"What? Is she ok?"

"Physically yes…" He looked over and saw her crying on the bed "Emotionally, not so much. She's asking for you."

Stefan listened more intently "Is that her crying? God what have you done?"

"Just get here Stefan."

It took just under 15 minutes for him to arrive at the hospital, he compelled anyone he needed to, in order to get to her. He knocked on the door of the room he had been told she was in, Alaric opened the door "I've tried everything, she's just crying…"

Stefan moved over to the bed and gently placed his hand on her shoulder until she turned to face him, as soon as she did, she burst into a fresh set of tears, he held is arms open to her and she quickly moved into them "it's ok…I here now." He turned to Ric "You can go…"

"We have an appointment…"

"Not anymore you don't, as soon as she's calm I'm taking her home. Just give her some space…" he said, cradling her head to his shoulder. "Come on…"

"Thank you for coming…" She sniffed leaning back.

"You needed me. I wasn't going to break my promise you" He said

"I couldn't do it Stefan…all the scans to see them. It's too much" She said, finally admitting what she was feeling.

Stefan nodded once and pulled some paper towels from the counter on the side "Lets get you cleaned up…" he said softy. Caroline watched him as he switched off the monitor and turned it away from her, he wiped the gel of her bump, being so careful and gentle in his movements. He pulled her top down to cover her stomach and then tucked her hair behind her ear "There…"

She took his hand and climbed down off the bed "I don't know who I am anymore."

Stefan stood still, his hands placing on her shoulders "You are Caroline Forbes, my beautiful, strong, kind hearted girlfriend…that's who you are. We'll figure it out a day at a time…"

 **I so want Stefan to be there for Caroline when she has a breakdown because by the looks of spoilers she's going to have quite a rough ride ! xx**


End file.
